Worst case scenario, it's a land fetch in black. Yeah, not really planning on stuffing my decks with them, but at least it is a sometimes useful common. A lot better than some of the other common crap we've seen in SoA. As a spell though, damn, that's a high cost for an 8 swing.
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Decks
Commander
Ezuri, Renegade Leader (Aggro/Combo - Favorite) Skullbriar, the Walking Grave (Sac and Grave hijinks) Azusa, Lost but Seeking (Landfall hijinks) Kaalia of the Vast (Heavily modded)
Am I the only one who thinks this can be potentially good? Its Rampant Growth. In Black. There are lots of decks that could play this (EDH, Casual, Prismatic kind of stuff) and benefit incredibly well. Its also decent in limited, either giving you a land tutor or a life swing,
Am I the only one who thinks this can be potentially good? Its Rampant Growth. In Black. There are lots of decks that could play this (EDH, Casual, Prismatic kind of stuff) and benefit incredibly well. Its also decent in limited, either giving you a land tutor or a life swing,
Rampant Growth puts the land into play. This puts the land into your hand.
The spell part is almost completely useless, but it is landsearch in black which will come in handy at least in limited... I suppose there is a possibility it could be used as fixing in a black-based multicolor deck which does not have easy access to green, but I doubt it.
I'm just seriously wondering, will this be a cycle in all colors, I'd love to have a overexpensive counter with this cycle ability on it.
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hey i have managed to evolve my axolotls by feeding them thyroid glands the thyroxine contained in these gland is enough to change these water dwelling creatures into land based creatures
Posted by: Tay Collins | January 20, 2010 6:45 AM
Tay, that's not evolution. It's metamorphosis. Evolution means descent with heritable modification – individuals cannot evolve, unless they're Pokemon.
Posted by: David Marjanović | January 20, 2010 8:55 AM
sigh, another awful black card. who wants to bet that the white basic cycler will be something like remove target attacking creature for 3 mana? we can only hope that this is the "token black worst card in the set common" that has now become a part of magic. as a fan of black i'm REALLY hoping there's something waiting that won't make me hate this set/block......
and yes it is SEMI-playable in limited... joy...
Have you ever played Shards Limited before???? This card is pick 2-4 if black is one of your two main colors. This card is not comparable to Talara's Bane, Bog Hoodlums, and Ashenmoor Cohort. This card has application no matter when you draw it. I will play this card every time I am already playing black. That is not SEMI-playable.
Absorb Vis
Sorcery 6B
Taget player loses 4 life and you gain 4 life.
Basic landcycling 1B
Common
If that's correct, yuck! Not only is it bad even for a common, but it costs coloured mana to get mana fixing? I can see green paying coloured mana for Rampant Growth and the like, but why would they purposely make the ability to fix your mana cost you black mana? Horrible design. If this is accurate, I'm scared to see the rest of the set now
Did I hear people saying it MIGHT be playable in limited?? I think this whole cycle will be high limited picks. It does what a panorama does, except it gets you ANY color. This is important because 5 color decks will be much more prevalent post-conflux. Then when you don't need the land, it ends the game for you.
As for constructed, well, it just wasn't designed for that purpose.
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I'm a mathematics postdoc researching evolution and complex systems. Learn about these ideas here!
If that's correct, yuck! Not only is it bad even for a common, but it costs coloured mana to get mana fixing? I can see green paying coloured mana for Rampant Growth and the like, but why would they purposely make the ability to fix your mana cost you black mana? Horrible design. If this is accurate, I'm scared to see the rest of the set now
Uhh...there is a cycle of commons like this.
How does Swampcycling work any different? (Flavorwise, I understand the differences mechanically)
It would be broken as colorless mana, so this helps reign in the ability.
It is a necessary bleed for domain's theme, which is being pushed heavily apparently.
The theme of this cycle is to cycle the card until you don't need the fixing, but all the cards are good
At any rate, here is another of the cards in the cycle, the green one, for your amusement.
Sylvan Bounty 5G
Instant (C)
Target player gains 8 life.
Basic landcycling 1G
Uhh...there is a cycle of commons like this.
How does Swampcycling work any different?
Swampcycling is better. It's colorless, and it can search up a dual. The only thing Basic Landcycling has on Twisted Abomination is with basic you can dig up a nonblack color. And Basic is the one in standard. Even in Extended there's the Rav duals.
Also, what's with the name? I've never heard of a vis.
Vis is the life energy that the necromancers, demons and vampires of Grixis need to survive. It's found in the blood, mind, bodily fluids and such of living beings and is used as fuel for powerful magic. Some beings even need it to survive. Vis, being found only in the living, is becoming more sought after as the living on Grixis dwindle in number. Given that the favor of vis has it as an odd amalgamation of both life and mana (in a sense), I find it cute that this card that harvests vis can fetch you either life or mana.
Sylvan Bounty- Obviously pretty boring & unplayable in C, but for L if you have a 4 or 5 color construction it might just make the cut. & 8 life can buy you a couple of turns if you want it to.
I like this cycle. I wonder if people would complain if the following cycle was printed.
1G (C)
Instant
This can't be countered.
Search your library for a basic land card, put it into your hand. Shuffle your library afterwords.
Yes. Not because it's not a good card, but someone will always complaint as it is impossible for one card to share everyone's own vision of magic. I've been around for several rumor seasons and I conclude that no card have been/will be printed without someone complaining. That aside, control decks usually don't counter rampant growth effects. They'd rather counter the spell you are ramping up to cast. So the uncounterability is somewhat pointless.
Sylvan Bounty is terrible. Reminds me of Soaring Hope.
Abosrb vis is nice in limited.
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"Wizards could put $100 bills in packs and people would complain about how they were folded." - from Dr Jeebus's Sig
Commander
Ezuri, Renegade Leader (Aggro/Combo - Favorite)
Skullbriar, the Walking Grave (Sac and Grave hijinks)
Azusa, Lost but Seeking (Landfall hijinks)
Kaalia of the Vast (Heavily modded)
Standard
Waiting for Innistrad...
Extended
Hah!
Modern
Living End Cascade (RGB)
Legacy
Burn
Vintage
None
Casual
WB Aggro-Control
Green Stompy
Pink Floyd (UWr Wall Control)
Lunch Box (Fatty ramp)
D-Bag (White Control)
Level 13 Task Mage
Rampant Growth puts the land into play. This puts the land into your hand.
Posted by: Tay Collins | January 20, 2010 6:45 AM
Tay, that's not evolution. It's metamorphosis. Evolution means descent with heritable modification – individuals cannot evolve, unless they're Pokemon.
Posted by: David Marjanović | January 20, 2010 8:55 AM
Machius proudly supports R_E's right to Rumour!
If that's correct, yuck! Not only is it bad even for a common, but it costs coloured mana to get mana fixing? I can see green paying coloured mana for Rampant Growth and the like, but why would they purposely make the ability to fix your mana cost you black mana? Horrible design. If this is accurate, I'm scared to see the rest of the set now
.
1. Baneslayer Angel 2. Birds of Paradise 3. Lightning Bolt 4. Honor of the Pure 5. Goblin Chieftain
My top 5 Zendikar cards:
1. Eternity Vessel 2. Chandra Ablaze 3. Beastmaster Ascension 4. Ob Nixilis, the Fallen 5. Rampaging Baloths
Yeah, coulda cost more than Soul Feast imo.
Also, what's with the name? I've never heard of a vis.
.
Isn't vis the life force on Grixis?
As for constructed, well, it just wasn't designed for that purpose.
Uhh...there is a cycle of commons like this.
How does Swampcycling work any different? (Flavorwise, I understand the differences mechanically)
It would be broken as colorless mana, so this helps reign in the ability.
It is a necessary bleed for domain's theme, which is being pushed heavily apparently.
The theme of this cycle is to cycle the card until you don't need the fixing, but all the cards are good
At any rate, here is another of the cards in the cycle, the green one, for your amusement.
Sylvan Bounty 5G
Instant (C)
Target player gains 8 life.
Basic landcycling 1G
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Swampcycling is better. It's colorless, and it can search up a dual. The only thing Basic Landcycling has on Twisted Abomination is with basic you can dig up a nonblack color. And Basic is the one in standard. Even in Extended there's the Rav duals.
Vis is the life energy that the necromancers, demons and vampires of Grixis need to survive. It's found in the blood, mind, bodily fluids and such of living beings and is used as fuel for powerful magic. Some beings even need it to survive. Vis, being found only in the living, is becoming more sought after as the living on Grixis dwindle in number. Given that the favor of vis has it as an odd amalgamation of both life and mana (in a sense), I find it cute that this card that harvests vis can fetch you either life or mana.
Archatmos
Excellion
Fracture: Israfiel (WBR), Wujal (URG), Valedon (GUB), Amduat (BGW), Paladris (RWU)
Collision (Set Two of the Fracture Block)
Quest for the Forsaken (Set Two of the Excellion Block)
Katingal: Plane of Chains
Green one could've been much, much more interesting...that'll have to be the worst of the cycle.
Ars Magica, a really kickass RPG that at one time was produced by WotC, used "vis" as the powersource for magic.
ET
I make terrible cards in my spare time. My personal favorite, as a joke:
Flavor Destroyer RG
Creature- Insect (C)
Flying
Wait, since when do red and green get efficient flyers?
2/1
Am I the only one looking at this as a Rampant Growth variation? The cycling is really what the cards are about, not the spell.
WUBRGPauper Battle BoxWUBRG ... and why I am not a fan of Wayne Reynolds' Illustrations.
1G (C)
Instant
This can't be countered.
Search your library for a basic land card, put it into your hand. Shuffle your library afterwords.
Machius proudly supports R_E's right to Rumour!
Yes. Not because it's not a good card, but someone will always complaint as it is impossible for one card to share everyone's own vision of magic. I've been around for several rumor seasons and I conclude that no card have been/will be printed without someone complaining. That aside, control decks usually don't counter rampant growth effects. They'd rather counter the spell you are ramping up to cast. So the uncounterability is somewhat pointless.
Sylvan Bounty is terrible. Reminds me of Soaring Hope.
Abosrb vis is nice in limited.
Thanks to PurpleD from Left Play Designs for the banner:D
Half right...
Traumatic Visions 3UU
Instant (C)
Counter Target Spell
Basic landcycling 1U
Gleam of Resistance 4W
Instant (C)
Creatures you control get +1/+2 until end of turn. Untap those creatures.
Basic landcycling 1W
The white one seems great, and the blue one makes Spell Snip completely useless in limited. (IMO)
Each part of the cycle is ok, the green one is just a 'use this if you need to but usually cycle it'.
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